Sunday, 17 February 2013

Tonka Island to Paramaribo

There is only limited time on Tonka
Island, so it was a particularly early start to try to find the Target
Bird, luckily I had done my home-work!

A couple of WHITE-EYED PARAKEET were our first find,

but having strayed a little from Otte's side I picked up a sound

that could only be one thing.

The call of a demented Heifer with a Chainsaw

was surely a

CAPUCHINBIRD

which I also located in double quick time.

Not the best of shots, but the 'receding' forehead

can be clearly seen.

I believe such a bird deserves a little more than the below average
photographs above, so here is one borrowed from Wiki.

Anything else now was a bonus so

LINEATED WOODPECKER

would do nicely,

followed by much closer views of yesterday's

GOLD-WINGED PARAKEET.

GREAT KISKADEE is now very familiar to us all

but what came next certainly wasn't.

We had received some prior information at Brownsberg

of a

SUNBITTERN

being present on the Island

but hadn't considered our chances as very good.

All of a sudden there it was in front of us,

distant but who cares for a bird of this magnitude?

SUNBITTERN should receive the same note as CAPUCHINEBIRD

so this photo comes from my own Picasa Album, taken in

Venezuela, 2010

and this, showing 'full magnificence' is again from Wiki.

AMAZON KINGFISHER

was
a welcome addition to the 'Trip List' but as ever the only absentee is
GREEN and RUFOUS KINGFISHER which is the only one north of Ecuador that I
have still not encountered on this continent. There's time yet.

A 'live' MILLIPEDE was a surprise

but ORANGE-WINGED PARROT didn't make for much of a shot

The leaf of this plant retracts at human touch.

WHITE-TIPPED DOVE

GREAT EGRET

and what's that flying low across the lake?

RUFESCENT TIGER HERON

FUNGI

NATIVE HOMES

and that's when the rain started

and forgot to stop.

OTTE looking a little waterlogged.

How the lake looks now and

how it used to be.

It's still raining but at least we're back at the ranch.

Included here is also the return journey to Paramaribo.

A good catch of PARANA before we left the Island,

and a second view of Brownsberg in passing.

Both SOLITARY SANDPIPER and

GREEN KINGFISHER

were
awaiting out arrival at the Ferry Terminal, but there was something far
more interesting on the way back. Otte it seems simply cannot resist
the temptation to visit the reliable sites he knows and that might be
just as well for we would not have seen

this stunning male

CREAM-COLOURED WOODPECKER

had his advise not been taken - WOW!Did you ever see a Woodpecker quite like that?

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About Me

Born Beeston, Notts 1946, my family moved to Dorset 1959. Joined the Royal Navy age 15 years and 50 days serving 10 years. In frigates firstly then over 5 years in Submarines as a Seaman/Diver, reaching the dizzy heights of Leading Seaman before leaving to join the Merchant Service, working in Ocean Salvage and Harbour Tugs, passenger / cargo ships, trials vessels, etc. Qualified as Mate (Chief Officer) in 1976 and as Master (Captain) in 1978. For my final 20 years of 47 I worked in the Offshore Oil Industry initially on the drilling rig Stena Hunter, then the accommodation barge Borgland Dolphin and finally the Floating Production Platform Buchan Alpha. On the rigs I forged a number of long lasting friendships several of whom shared some of my extensive travels. Setting foot on Caymen, Bermuda, Bahamas and The Azores in March 2013 brought my countries total to 147. The best, undoubtedly, was Antarctica, followed by Australia, Mongolia, Belize, Zimbabwe, China and Madagascar, in no particular order. As for my greatest achievement in life, my 2 beautiful daughters bear witness to that. Love to all our readers, your in my thoughts. Bagsy